Hello, Mishelle! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel and thanks for your question!
Blue Bayou Restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat at the Disneyland Resort. The food is always marvelous and you just can’t beat the outdoors-indoors ambiance. There is no need to show up any earlier than five or ten minutes prior to your reservation. The only exception is if you are requesting a water-side table, then I would show up earlier and be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes or longer past your reservation time. Sometimes they can accommodate this request without an additional wait, but it’s better to plan conservatively.
As for the length of your actual meal, I would plan for around one hour or a little longer if you plan to enjoy a starter and a dessert. The past two times I’ve dined here, though, our entrees arrived very quickly and we were in and out in under an hour. So, I think you will have no trouble making it to the
Pixar Play Parade at 3:30 p.m. after your lunch.
One of the specialties of the Blue Bayou Restaurant is the Monte Cristo Sandwich which is only available for lunch. So if you’re into fried sandwiches with lots of delicious turkey, ham, swiss, and jam, this is definitely the place to order it. You can also get a non-alcoholic mint julep to wash everything down.
I hope your visit to the Disneyland Resort is full of magic and memories!
-Linda